Venice, Italy

Places to visit

Arsenale

The Arsenale is a shipyard in Venice, which played a vital role in the development of the Venetian Republic. The Italian Navy is now running the yard and it occasionally opens to public like on the Biennale and for the festival of traditional Venetian boats, held in May each year. According to historical records the Arsenale started functioning in 1104. Sometimes up to 16,000 arsenalotti or workers used to be employed at the yard and they used to be among the best shipbuilders in the world. The ‘Inferno’ by Dante has truly captured these sweating men armed with pitch and boiling tar. The Arsenale has an extraordinary Renaissance gateway guarded by four lions which were taken from Francesco Morosini, who defeated Turkey in 1687 and won the Peloponnese. Address: Campo dell'Arsenale, Castello, Venice